Thimonier: France yet to Decide on Date for EU Talks with Macedonia

France is yet to decide on the determination for date for start of E membership negotiations with Macedonia, says French Ambassador Christian Thimonier in an interview for Radio Free Europe. “We don’t know how long the path would take, and it’s not simple at all, but we’re ready to offer our help. We only need to establish the outcome of the reform agendas. French President Emanuel Macron intends to make the Union functional and able to respond any future challenges and not to block the Balkans from joining. He’s always said the Balkans belongs to a renewed EU. The idea is not to block the process, but the question my government is asking is: Does a simple date for talks really meet the needs of nations across the region? The rule of law shouldn’t just be a facade, but the start of certain realities, and we’re not blind in this regard. We know it can’t happen overnight,” Thimonier says.